Chapter 57

Over the few days until the Phoenix's defeat, we spent our time diligently preparing for the battle. I had to create magical tools for the Phoenix's defeat, but it took much more time than I had imagined. Still, we managed to finish all the preparations by the day before the Phoenix's defeat, and we left the inn with time to spare.

"You arrived earlier than expected."

"……Huh?"

However, when we arrived at the entrance of the labyrinth, our meeting place, Sieg and the others were already there, fully prepared and waiting for us. Not only that, they had already accepted the quest for the Phoenix's defeat, and their efficiency left both Narseena and me in awe.

Sieg and the others must have needed a considerable amount of preparation, just like us. Despite this, the fact that they were so relaxed compared to us could only be attributed to their experience. As I thought about this, I spoke to Sieg and the others.

"I'm sorry for being late..."

"Don't worry about it. We just arrived early."

Laila smiled, as if trying to convey that there was no need to be overly concerned. However, the next moment, her face showed confusion as she noticed something on my back.

"…I have one question, are you going to use that in battle?"

At Laila's hesitant words, I couldn't help but smile wryly. The item on my back was a massive greatsword. Though not as large as Sieg's magic sword, it was still quite heavy and large. For someone who knew that I usually used a dagger, it was natural to doubt whether I could use such a weapon.

"Don't worry. I can use it, though not as well as a dagger."

However, Laila's concern was unfounded. I could handle a greatsword of this size. ……After all, I had trained under Ronaldo.

"But…."

Despite my reassurance, Laila's face still showed unease, as she had not trained under Ronaldo.

"…Laila, I think you can trust Laust's words."

"…I've never seen my brother use a greatsword, but I can use one, so I think it's fine."

"Y-Yeah… Ronaldo's training…."

Laila's unease seemed to lessen as Sieg and Narseena, my fellow apprentices, shared similar wry smiles. Thanks to them, Laila seemed to be convinced, though her cheeks were still tense.

"Let's go, then."

The relaxed atmosphere that had been present during our conversation tightened the moment Sieg spoke. In the next instant, we quickly prepared and began our journey, the previous conversation helping to prevent any excessive tension among us.

…However, despite this, we understood the importance of the Phoenix's defeat that we were about to undertake.

Even if we failed, we could still escape. However, in that case, there was a possibility that the Phoenix would mutate.

But we would not allow such a thing to happen. We had meticulously planned our strategy up until this point. With this resolve in my heart, I stepped into the labyrinth…

◇◆◇

"Ra──A!"

The Phoenix appeared in the lower levels of the labyrinth, just as the guild's information had indicated, near the teleportation array.

"!"

Its body was covered in scorching flames, like armor. Seeing this for the first time, Narseena and I couldn't help but gasp. Even Sieg and the others, who had faced the Phoenix before, showed a slight sign of unease.

However, the Phoenix took a different approach.

"RuA────────A!"

"Wha!"

The moment the Phoenix recognized Sieg, it let out a roar and launched a massive fireball.

Normally, the Phoenix would not attack before assessing the threat level of its opponent based on their magical power and aura. Knowing this, we were taken aback.

"Well, that's a warm welcome."

Except for Sieg.

Despite the fireball that could engulf his upper body, Sieg remained calm and swung his magic sword at it, as if he knew the Phoenix would attack him first.

"RA──────Aa!"

In the next instant, the fireball was dispelled by the magic sword, and the Phoenix let out a hateful roar.

"Hah."

In response to the roar, Sieg gave the Phoenix a provocative smile.

"Still holding a grudge from last time, huh? But I appreciate it. Come on, keep targeting me."

The next moment, I snapped back to reality at Sieg's provocative words.

The Phoenix's abnormal hostility towards Sieg was unexpected, and I had instinctively moved to support him. However, that was not my role. While we were in an unexpected situation, our plan was not failing. In fact, with the Phoenix's attention focused on Sieg, this was the best possible scenario for our plan.

So, the action I needed to take was clear.

"Narseena!"

"Yes!"

In the next instant, Narseena and I launched ourselves at the Phoenix according to the plan. Narseena's hand held a gauntlet with heat resistance, and I gripped the greatsword instead of my usual dagger.

"RA──A!"

Perhaps because it was focused on Sieg, the Phoenix's reaction to our sudden attack was delayed. This delay was not long, but I judged that one of us would be able to land a hit on the Phoenix.

Noticing this, the Phoenix's movements showed a moment of hesitation. In that moment, we closed the distance to the Phoenix even further.

"RA─A!"

Seeing the closing distance, the Phoenix seemed to realize that it couldn't avoid being hit by one of us and decided to accept being attacked by one but avoid being hit by both.

"RA───────A!"

"! Brother, I'm counting on you!"

In the end, the Phoenix launched a fireball at Narseena to avoid being hit. Narseena retreated to avoid the fireball and called out. This meant that if Narseena wanted to attack the Phoenix, she would have to close the distance again.

"Haha."

Despite one of our companions missing an attack opportunity, I laughed. The reason was simple. Whether Narseena hit the Phoenix or not was not important right now.

After all, Narseena was only a decoy to ensure that I could land a hit.

The reason I was attacking the Phoenix was not to deal damage. We would only start our serious attacks after stripping off the Phoenix's fiery armor, so there was no need to damage it now.

Therefore, my goal was to draw the Phoenix's attention to me.

Currently, the Phoenix did not seem to consider me a threat. The fact that it interrupted Narseena's attack instead of mine was proof of this.

This was a natural judgment for the Phoenix, which could sense the magical power and aura of humans. My magical power and aura were the lowest among those present. While I could use basic magic and enhancements, my magical power and aura were not insignificant. However, compared to the others, who possessed extraordinary amounts, my levels were significantly lower. This led the Phoenix to consider me a negligible threat.

"RA──A"

…From the Phoenix's eyes as it watched me run, I understood this.

Even as I was about to attack, its gaze showed mockery and relief.

…And correcting this major misconception was my current goal.

This time, I needed to draw the Phoenix's attention to me and buy time for Armia to cast her spell. However, in my current state, the Phoenix was clearly not taking me seriously.

So, I needed to teach the Phoenix that I was a threat. To make it impossible for the Phoenix to ignore me.

Narseena's role was to create an opening for my attack by drawing the Phoenix's attention. However, the Phoenix was not aware of this and showed no signs of caution against my attack. It seemed to believe that Narseena's attack was the main threat and that my attack was insignificant, showing no signs of dodging.

"RA───A!?"

The Phoenix only realized its mistake the moment I was right in front of it, raising my greatsword. The moment I enhanced my body, I saw the Phoenix's shock, confirming that its perception of me had changed.

The Phoenix tried to avoid my attack, but its movements were too slow.

"Raaaaaaah!"

"RAAAAAAAA!?"

In the next instant, the greatsword, swung with all my might, easily penetrated the fiery armor and deeply cut into the Phoenix's body. A scream that seemed to shatter my eardrums confirmed that the greatsword had inflicted a significant wound on the Phoenix.

"!"

…However, I did not feel a moment of satisfaction at this achievement.

"RuA──AA"

The killing intent that accompanied the Phoenix's roar clearly conveyed its rage.

"Phase one, successful."

Amidst the killing intent, I forced a smile. Facing the intense hostility, I told myself that this was the ideal state and spoke.

"Come on, I'm right here."

"RA───────AAA!"

And the life-or-death time-buying began. I apologize for the sudden pause. I will continue to update regularly from today. Thank you for your continued support!